Blurb:

Breakfast at Tiffany’s Waffles and Wings

A year after Hurricane Katrina, Scott is back in the city he loves, the city that offered him sanctuary from rural Louisiana and its prejudices, but living in a homeless shelter can be almost as dangerous as the streets.

The storm cost Tony his family, his home, and his direction in life. Now he’s squatting and stealing to make ends meet, and he’s lost all hope of things getting better.

When Scott and Tony meet, they realize it’s time to stop merely surviving. It’s time to start living again. Together.

Charlie’s Mission

Charlie is an ex-addict plagued by memories of the past. He’s doing penance working at a homeless shelter, staying away from men, drugs, and anything resembling happiness. He’s convinced he doesn’t deserve more.

Devon is determined to keep the dealers out of his neighborhood. No one operates there without his permission. When he brings a sick young man who was selling drugs to the mission, he meets Charlie and can’t stop thinking of the man with the haunted eyes. He’s determined to give Charlie a taste of pleasure, despite Charlie’s claims that he’s not worthy of it.

My View:

Two very different novellas grouped together, the common thread being the homeless shelter in New Orleans.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s Waffles and Wings is very much a slice of one couples life – the very beginning of their story. Scott and Tony are both homeless, but at different stages in how they are dealing with it. Scott works, saves and is focused on a better life, he has friends and dreams of a relationship. Tony is a squatter, and steals. He blames himself for a tragedy that happened to his family. When their lives collide Scott gets his chance at a relationship and it fires Tony up to try and do something more with this life.

Its a well written and rather poignant slice of life, and while it does lack depth at times, I thought that was OK because it was a small insight into two people’s lives.

Charlie’s Mission, was quite different. Charlie works at the homeless shelter where Scott was living, because of his drug abuse a tragedy ensued, and he blames himself. So for the last three years he has lived liked a monk, and refuses to have anything to do with drugs. When he meets Devon there is instant attraction , but both men are hiding things. They do get it on, and while part of Charlie thinks Devon is pushing drugs, he mainly knows that’s not true, and the bigger part of him just believes he’s not worth love. So what starts out for both men as a means to an end becomes much more.

I think if this had been left as fragment of a love story it would have worked better for me, as it was,too much was crammed into small a space, and the whole story felt rushed and way too neat towards the end.

I really got a sense of place about New Orleans through these stories, and would read more.

Links

I would like to thank the publisher for providing me with the eARC of this title in exchange for my honest opinion.

Farewell Giveaway
I have a number of paperbacks, most of which are signed, to giveaway. Over the between now (11 Mar 2017) and 31 Mar 2017, every comment on the blog (this post and all other new posts), will be entered to win 1 of these paperbacks. There are also some misc swag items, so there will be a few packs of these to give away as well.

Thank you so much for your support over the last 4 years. Prism will be closing its doors on 1 April 2017. All content will remain available, but no new content will appear after 31 Mar 2017. As such all request forms have been turned off. Again Thank you,